As the 2022 Christmas shopping season approaches, Australian consumers perceive they are living in a post-COVID world.

Many consumer behaviours changed over the pandemic years; however, with the worst of the pandemic’s impacts now in the rear-view mirror, questions for retailers abound. What consumer behaviours are reverting back to the norm? What changes are more enduring?

Findings from our 7th annual Christmas Shopping Intentions survey explore these questions and more. In this report you will find insights into the shopping behaviours, attitudes, and preferences of Australian consumers for the 2022 holiday season. We also cover what Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping trends are looking like for the upcoming holiday season.

2022 Holiday Shopping Season Outlook

The Christmas trading quarter is the most critical time of year on the retail calendar. 2022 is looking to be the first post-pandemic holiday shopping season, and Australian consumers want it all this Christmas — the tangible experiences of in-person shopping, and the convenience of digital channels, when buying gifts for loved ones. However, with rising inflation and interest rates, price-sensitive consumers are a growing segment this Christmas, on the hunt for options that can meet their growing expectations around competitive pricing and convenience. Overlaying this state of play, the newer and increasingly popular shopping events – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – are helping to drive shoppers to increasingly do most of their Christmas shopping before the December month of festivities even begins.

Key Takeaways

• Spending intentions are returning to pre-Covid norms. One-in-four shoppers are planning to spend more this year, up from only 9% in 2020.
• Shoppers are becoming more value conscious. Though a quarter of consumers are planning on spending more on shopping this Christmas, almost half of shoppers (46%) indicate that they are more focused on coupons, deals & discounts than they were pre-Covid. This trend is expected to continue as economic pressures, such as inflation and interest rates, hit shoppers in their hip pockets.
• Omnichannel shoppers are the ‘new normal’. While the trend of physical-only shoppers converting into omnichannel shoppers has been progressing for a number of years, Covid accelerated this trend to the point where almost nine-in-ten shoppers now use both physical and online channels for their Christmas shopping. This change appears to have stuck. Notably, on average omnichannel shoppers do around half of their shopping in physical stores, and half online.
• November is the Christmas season – for shopping. Two-in-three shoppers will have done most of their Christmas shopping by November. While the shift away from December to earlier months is a significant change on 2021, it represents a return to pre-Covid shopper behaviour with respect to Christmas shopping timing.

To discover valuable insights, trends and takeaways that will help direct and drive your strategy for a successful holiday shopping season, download the complete 2022 Christmas Shopping Intentions Report here.